


The Prince's Plight

by SimpleLoon



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff and Humor, M/M, Parent Cor Leonis, Poor Noctis Lucis Caelum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:54:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29859081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimpleLoon/pseuds/SimpleLoon
Summary: Noctis tries to tell Prompto of his feelings. Unfortunately, Prompto's a bit clueless and has a protective parent.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 12
Kudos: 85





	The Prince's Plight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skylarkphantomemperor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skylarkphantomemperor/gifts).



> Back in the fall, I hit 1000 kudos. In celebration, I hosted a fic giveaway, and ReisiAo was the winner! As per their request, please enjoy Noctis trying to court an oblivious Prompto and also having to face Cor!
> 
> Special thank you to Amitiel for betaing!

Today was the day. Noctis was sure.

Despite Ignis’s previous skepticism, Noctis _had_ gotten up 2 hours earlier than he usually did and _had_ successfully prepared the breakfast pastry without alerting the fire department. And ithad _not_ set off the apocalypse (“Not _yet_.” “Shush, Specs!”). 

Now, Noctis sat at his assigned desk in his classroom, the pastry placed neatly atop a paper plate. There was still some time before the bell would ring, but Noctis had something (or rather some _one_ ) more pressing in his thoughts.

And soon enough, that pressing thought came hopping into the classroom, with a bright beaming smile, cool blue eyes, and hair kissed by the sun. Prompto, the blonde angel. 

He gasped upon noticing Noctis and rushed up to his seat in front of him. “Oh em gee! Noct! You’re here!”

“Well, yeah, Prompto,” Noctis responded, trying to keep his voice steady despite the banging of his heart. “Wouldn’t be very princely of me to play hooky.”

“No, I mean, you’re _never_ here this early. Oh, uh-oh!” Prompto whipped his head around nervously. “This isn’t the sign of the apocalypse, is it!?”

“Prompto, no! It’s just… here.” With trembling hands, Noctis pushed the plate forward.

“Huh?” Prompto retrieved the plate with raised eyebrows, inspecting the pastry. “For me?”

“Yup, for you, made by me.” Noctis chuckled nervously and then took a deep breath. _Okay, Noct. You can do this. Just open your mouth and tell Prompto how you-_

“Wow, Noct! That’s incredible!” Prompto’s eyes glistened as his voice rang out excitement. “This looks sooooooooo good, too! You’re the best best friend ever! Thank you!”

_Best friend._

Noctis chuckled again. “Yeah, you’re a great best friend, too.”

Prompto happily dug into the pastry as Noctis watched with sagged shoulders.

~

Okay, last time was just practice. This day, _this_ day. This was surely the day!

There was this adorable, large white mage chocobo plush in one of the UFO catcher machines at the arcade. One of those difficult machines where the plush balanced between two uneven bars, and you had to move it to the wider space. But Prompto had eyed it every time they entered the arcade. And Noctis was determined. Even with the world’s worst cheerleader behind him.

“Wow, Charmless! That try was almost as pathetic as your pull-up attempts last week!” Gladio teased as the claw returned, the chocobo still stuck between the bars.

Noctis growled and inserted another 500 yen.

“And yet so resolute! Imagine if you had _this_ much resolve during sword training.”

Noctis clenched his teeth, checking the angles from the side. He couldn’t let Gladio get to him. Not now.

“Does Ignis know how much you’re spending on this rigged machine?”

“Gladio, don’t you have anything else better to do?” Noctis slammed the buttons and prayed. 

The claw barely moved the chocobo a centimeter. 

“You mean besides doing my job and calling you out when you make poor life choices? I don’t think so.”

Noctis bit his tongue and tried again.

But after dozens of failed attempts and much spent money, Noctis and Gladio rejoined Prompto and Ignis at the dance machines, Noctis with a triumphant grin on his face and hands behind his back.

“Oh, hey!” Prompto jumped off the stage, wiping the sweat off his handsome brow. “Did you have fun where you were?”

“Yeah… check it out, Prompto!” Noctis brought forward the white mage chocobo, one of his greatest endeavors. Prompto goggled.

“Oh em gee! You won her! That’s incredible!”

Ignis came to Prompto’s side, rolling back down his sleeves and eyeing the chocobo oddly. “You won that, Noctis?”

“Yup! Here, for you!” Noctis pushed the chocobo into Prompto’s arms.

He gasped. “Oh, Noct! I couldn’t possibly… I mean, you worked so hard… You should-”

“Nope!” Noctis shook his head. “I knew how much you wanted her. And… you’re important to me, so…”

Prompto stared back at Noctis incredulously, his blue eyes giving that beautiful glimmer again. Noctis took a deep breath. This was it, this was the moment, just had to-

“Dude, you are _definitely_ the _best_ friend in the _history_ of _friends_!” Prompto gave Noctis a friendly fist bump on his shoulder. “But for real! I gotta win you something now! That’s the least I can do for my _best friend ever_! Lemme find something!”

Prompto started towards the UFO catchers, leaving a gaping Noctis. “W-wait! Prompto, I-”

“Noctis Lucis Caelum.”

Noctis gulped. He turned to the sound to see Ignis with crossed arms and narrowed eyes (along with a background Gladio covering his mouth to stifle his laughter). “Exactly how much money did you spend in your venture to acquire that plush?”

Another failed attempt _and_ Angry Specs… Yeah, not good.

~

The past two times… Just bad luck. But you know what they say: third time’s the charm! (That is what they say, right?) 

Whatever.

But this day for sure! Definitely! Without a doubt! Noctis was gonna get it right and tell Prompto how he felt! No misunderstandings, no intruding retainers, no interferences! Just him, Prompto, and the truth!

Prompto was now in pre-Crownsguard training, though they would be finishing up soon. Noctis was waiting (ALONE) right outside the training room, a bouquet of sunflowers in his hands. Because nothing screams more romantic than a bouquet of your crush’s favorite flowers, right? That would make it clear, right? It would just have to work! A few more moments and-

“Your Highness?”

Noctis fumbled with the flowers and jumped to the direction of the voice. “Marshal?”

Indeed, Marshal Cor Leonis was now right there in the hall, staring at Noctis with slight perplexion. “What are you doing here? I wasn’t aware you had training at this hour.”

“Uh… I’m here early.”

Cor raised an eyebrow. “With flowers?”

Noctis glanced between said flowers and Cor. “What? Never seen a prince hold a bunch of sunflowers before?”

Cor continued to look at Noctis, face serious. Noctis shifted to his other foot.

“Your Highness, I think I need to have a word with you,” Cor finally said, turning the other way. “To my office.”

Noctis’s heart jumped to his throat. “But Marshal! I-”

Cor snapped his head sharply back. “ _Now_. _”_

Noctis sighed, a drag in his feet as he followed Cor.

~

Noctis squirmed in the wooden seat, flicking a sunflower leaf with his thumb. In front of him, Cor sat behind his desk, his hands clasped and resting on top. He sat upright and firm, staring at Noctis with an unreadable expression. Classic, chilling Cor.

After what felt like eons, Cor let out a breath. “I’ve been hearing some very interesting things about you lately, Mr. Caelum.” 

Noctis let out a dry laugh. “Well, what can I say? I’m a very interesting guy.” 

“Yes.” Cor unclasped his hands and rapped his fingers against his desk once. “Tell me, since when have you taken an interest in cooking?”

Noctis blinked. “Huh?”

“Mr. Scientia informed me of your early morning undertaking on one school day.”

Why would Specs… ah, whatever! Noctis shrugged. “You know. Just trying to be a more responsible prince and look after myself. Responsibility and all.”

“Responsibility, is it…” Cor leaned towards Noctis. “Yet you partake in the frivolous activity of winning stuffed toys from contrived machines.”

Noctis began to feel hot underneath his shirt. Specs told him about the arcade, too? Weird… “Okay… I know there are… more useful things to spend money on. But it wasn’t for me! It was for my friend!”

Cor’s eyes flickered for a moment. “I’m aware. Prompto, wasn’t it?”

Noctis fumbled with the flowers again. Specs also told Cor about Prompto!? That’s it! They were _definitely_ gonna need to have a privacy talk later! (provided he survived this conversation)

“Yes, your dear friend Prompto.” Cor stood, smoothing down his jacket. “Am I correct to assume that the flowers are also for him? Being that you were standing right outside while he had training?”

Noctis felt sweat run down his neck. “I… Well… he’s a really good friend to-”

“Save it, Caelum.” Cor’s voice was steady but cut through like a katana. “I know _exactly_ what you’ve been trying to do with my son.”

Noctis doubled-over to save the bouquet he had dropped upon hearing that last word.

...Son!?

Noctis sat right up, eyes dilating.

“You heard that correctly, Mr. Caelum,” Cor continued, pacing around his desk. “Though we’ve kept it underwraps, I have taken Prompto under my wing. And he’s told me much about your precious _friendship_.”

Noctis said nothing, just clutched the bouquet closer and leaned further back into his chair as Cor approached.

“And while Prompto may be too innocent to realize, it doesn’t escape me: appeasing his stomach with a delicious pastry, appealing to his soft nature with a soft toy, and now gifting him with his favorite flowers…”

Cor was now standing directly in front of Noctis, baring down with a sharp gaze.

“I… I… I…” Noctis stammered out as he shrunk in his chair.

“Mark my words, Caelum.” Cor bent over Noctis, towering above. “Prompto is a special ray of sunshine. The light of my life. He spreads happiness to everyone and everything. I never want him to lose that sun.”

Cor’s office felt like Ifrit’s sauna. “Of-of course…,” Noctis squeaked out. “I understand.”

“Do you?” Cor grasped the tops of Noctis’s chair. “You understand to never break his heart? You understand to never betray him or, Gods forbid, make him cry? You understand that if you so much make him feel a ping of sorrow, you’ll be doing running drills for a full entire week, regardless of what the King says!?”

Noctis’s heart was racing at one million beats per second. This was… definitely not good. Forgot about his romantic dreams; now, he just wanted to live to see tomorrow morning.

“Aren’t you going to answer me, Caelum!?”

But before Noctis could regain feeling in his tongue, a bright and happy voice came to the rescue.

“Hey, Dad! Oh, and Noctis! Hi!”

Cor immediately straightened and regarded Prompto at the entrance, eyes shifting soft. “Hello, sport. How was training?”

“It was great! Thanks!” A bounce in his step, Prompto went to give Cor a quick hug, which the older man returned with a slight smile. Prompto then looked to Noctis. “Whoa, you okay there, buddy? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Noctis just let out a high groan.

“Oh, wow! What beautiful sunflowers ya got there!” Prompto marveled at the bouquet.

“Indeed.” Cor gave a tap to Prompto’s back. “Noctis got those just for you. What a true _friend_.”

“Really? Oh, how nice of you, Noctis!” Prompto took the bouquet from the frozen Noctis. “Thanks so much, buddy!”

Noctis forced out a weak smile.

“Welp, I better go take a shower.” Prompto handed the bouquet to Cor. “I smell funky!”

As Prompto moved to get out of the office, Noctis felt a sense of helplessness rush over him. It seemed no day would ever be the day. He was never going to win Prompto’s heart af-

“Oh! But before I forget!” Prompto rushed back to Noctis. “Noct, do you wanna go on a dinner-and-movie date this Saturday?”

Noctis jumped out of his chair as both he and Cor cried in unison, “What!?”

“Well, I mean…” Prompto rubbed the back of his neck, looking back between his shoes and Noctis. “Truth be told, Noct, I’ve kind of really liked you as more than a friend for a while now. And I thought… maybe… I mean, if you don’t want to-”

“He would be happy to.” Cor slapped Noctis’s shoulder, eliciting a slight cry from the prince. “In fact, we were just talking about a relationship between the two of you, and I think that’s a fine idea.” He gave the shoulder a squeeze. “Don’t you, Your Highness?”

“I… uh...,” Noctis gulped, looking between Prompto’s anxious face and Cor’s approving one. But then, it hit him, and a giant beaming smile took over. “Yes, Prompto! I’d love to go on a date with you!”

Prompto beamed just as bright and jumped, pumping both fists in the air. “Oh, yeah! Awesome! I’m so happy, I could kiss you! Oh!” Prompto slapped both hands over his mouth, face immediately turning red. “I mean… if you don’t mind.” 

“I..” Noctis glanced to Cor again, who just nodded. “I’d… like that, too, Prompto.”

Blue eyes glistened, and soft lips pressed against Noctis. A simple kiss, but tasting of sweet candy and excitement. Noctis sighed upon breaking, feeling a bit lighter in his head.

“We’ll discuss more after my shower, kay? See you soon, new boyfriend!” Prompto blew Noctis a kiss and waved goodbye to Cor, the smile never leaving his face as he rushed off. 

Noctis touched his lips. Everything that had happened, in the span of not even ten minutes… Whoa.

“Well, I hope you two have fun this Saturday,” Cor broke the silence, setting the bouquet on his desk.

Noctis eyed Cor. “Wait, earlier, you said-”

“If Prompto wants to date you, I’m not going to stop him,” Cor simply stated. “That boy’s happiness means everything to me, and if he can be happy with you, then it’s perfectly fine by me. However,” Cor’s voice dropped, “if you even consider breaking his heart…”

Noctis gulped and shook his head furiously. “I won’t, sir! His happiness means everything to me, too, sir!”

Cor gave a firm nod. “Then you best prove it. Now, go wait for him by the showers.”

“Yes, sir!”

Noctis stumbled out of his office, making his way down the halls to the showers, but eventually had to stop part-way, falling to his knees in the middle of a hall. He let out a heavy sigh and waited, trying to regain himself after all the exhilaration. He stayed there for a few moments in silence, until he heard the telltale sounds of a cane and footsteps approach him.

“Should I ask?”

“I don’t understand love or the Marshal sometimes.”

“Welcome to my world, son.” 


End file.
